“Everything inspires me! The things I see and do every day; people I meet; conversations, movies, television, books. . . . One of the best things about writing is that it makes you a better observer—you pay attention to people and things because you never know what might inspire a story!”—Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park won the 2002 John Newbery Medal for A Single Shard, her third book for young readers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda Sue Park was born and raised in Illinois. The daughter of Korean immigrants, she has been writing poems and stories since she was 4 years old, and her favorite thing to do as a child was read.

Park was first published when she was 9 years old. She was paid one whole dollar for a haiku that ran in a children’s magazine. Her father still has the one-dollar check in a frame above his desk.

During elementary school and high school, Park had several more poems published in magazines for children and young people. She studied English at Stanford University and then she took a job as a public-relations writer for a major oil company. This was not exactly the kind of writing she wanted to do, but it did teach her to present her work professionally and that an interested writer can make any subject fascinating.

Somewhere between living in Ireland, England, and the United States; teaching English as a Second Language and working as a food journalist; and starting a family, Park finally realized that what she really wanted to do was to write books for children.

Park lives in upstate New York with her husband, their two children, a dog, a hamster, and eight tadpoles. Besides reading and writing, Linda Sue Park likes to cook, travel, watch movies, and do the New York Times crossword puzzles.

For more information on Linda Sue Park, visit her Web site at www.lindasuepark.com

PRAISE

THE KITE FIGHTERS —An IRA Teachers’ Choice—One of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

“With ease and grace, Park brings these long-ago children to life.”—Starred, School Library Journal

SEESAW GIRL “In descriptive, engaging prose, the story portrays the culture, traditions, and daily lives of the Korean aristocracy.”—Booklist

A SINGLE SHARD —The 2002 Newbery Medal Winner—A School Library Journal Best Book—A Booklist Editors’ Choice —One of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

“Tree-ear’s story conveys a time and place far away and long ago, but with a simplicity and immediacy that is both graceful and unpretentious. A timeless jewel.”—Starred, Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will not soon forget these characters or their sacrifices.”—Starred, Publishers Weekly